It's all about Jesus!

Preparing Your Heart for Worship - February 26, 2017

We’re opening our service this week a little bit differently. We’ll begin by turning our thoughts to many of the Attributes of Jesus and then our combined Adult and Children’s Choirs will pick up there and continue to lead us in exalting Him as the Lion and the Lamb and the King of kings. What a great beginning to our time together this promises to be!

The Lion and the Lamb

Below are the songs we’ll be singing together this Sunday. Take some time to listen to them so that you can make the most of our time together. The more familiar you are with the songs, the better you’ll be able to truly engage in exalting Christ as we sing together, pray together, and study God’s Word together. 

May the Peoples Praise You

What a great new song this has been to learn this month. It’s such a fantastic expression of what we have gathered for. As we open our time of singing together with the opening words of this song perfectly set the stage for our time together:

You have called us out of darkest night

Into Your glorious light

That we may sing the wonders of

The risen Christ

  

This Is Amazing Grace

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? I love the series of questions and answers that this song brings. How can these things not lead us to celebrate His Amazing Grace?

Meditating on God’s Word

We’re currently memorizing Psalm 103. If you keep up with the memory work, in a couple more weeks, you’ll have all of Psalm 103 memorized. Stay disciplined and work on memorizing this wonderful Psalm. 

We’ll also hear God’s Word read to us during this time. It’s always a highlight to me when we simply read God’s Word and hear Him speaking to us!

Prayer of Praise

What a joy and privilege it is to pray together. I appreciate the men who lead us in this time of praising God for all that He has done for us. It’s such a privilege to approach the Throne of Grace with both confidence and humility.

Sermon: Ephesians 5:18-19

We’ll conclude our study of Worship this week and spend some time walking through what our singing together should look like. What kinds of songs should we sing? While the Scriptures don’t give us a list of songs, a defined order or worship, or even a distinct “style” of music, they are very clear in what we are to do. What a joy it is to open God’s Word and hear from Him.   

Behold Our God

We spent two weeks in the throne room. This song is a beautiful expression of the joy it is to behold Him on His throne. We truly serve an awesome God - in every conceivable way!

Offering

When we gather, everything we do is to be done unto the Lord, to show Him His infinite worth to us. That’s the foundation of the word “worth-ship,” the root of our word “worship.” What better way to express His worth to us than to give back to Him a portion of the financial resources He has so richly blessed us with. 

Amazing Grace

There’s really not much to say about this hymn other than it’s been a beloved hymn for hundreds of years. I always love singing this together! One of our young men recently commented on this song, saying, “You can’t go wrong with Amazing Grace!” I agree.

All Because of Jesus

As we prepare to head back out into the world - let these words ring in your ears all week - it’s all because of Jesus! 

Sunday Nights @ Fellowship - Tonight, we’re looking at the Acts of the Apostles 

We start at 5:00 and are done by 6:00 p.m.,

We’ll be singing Victory in Jesus, Grace Greater than Our Sin, and There Is a Redeemer together as we celebrate all that Christ has done.    

As always, be in prayer for:

• Rex and all those who lead the music in our time together

• Those who will be praying and reading Scripture

• Pray for yourself that God prepares your heart for what He wants to teach you through His Word.

• Pray for the Body that God places in each of us a deep desire to worship Him.

• Pray for me as I prepare to preach this week.

Last weekend’s marriage retreat was fantastic. It was a wonderful time of teaching led by several of the men in our church and we all enjoyed some great fellowship as well. Amy and I had a wonderful time with 18 other couples from our church. I’m also really looking forward to being together with the whole body gathered this Sunday. Come ready to exalt our glorious Savior!

Rob